*** Checkpoint FOR THURS 5 NOV 2009
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The father of an 11-week-old baby who was starved and beaten has been found guilty of her murder. 31 year old Azees Mahomed and his 26 year old wife Tabbasum Mahomed, were arrested after baby Tahani died in Auckland's Starship Hospital on New Year's Day last year. Azees Mahomed was charged with her murder, and with two counts of causing grievous bodily harm. Both he and his wife were charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life. They were found guilty on all charges. Our reporter Sam Morrah was at the High Court in Auckland - and says the couple showed no reaction when the verdicts were read out. PREREC
The unemployment rate has hit a nine year high at 6.5 per cent - with some economists predicting it could rise as high as 7.5 per cent. Statisitics New Zealand says the percentage of the labour force without jobs went up by half a percent in the September quarter.
150 thousand people are now out of work. Cherie McQuilkin reports. PKG
The ACT Party leader Rodney Hide has had to back pedal after being caught out claiming the Prime Minister has done nothing apart from launching the national cycleway. John Key is downplaying Mr Hide's criticism, saying it was simply political banter. But Mr Hide has been forced to apologise to Mr Key and his Cabinet colleagues, who he also criticised. Our political editor Brent Edwards has been following the issue and joins me now. LIVE
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Anusha Bradley
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The latest person to have been expelled from Fiji, Professor Brij Lal has returned to Australia. The Fijian-born Australian academic was expelled after being questioned and briefly thrown in jail by Fiji's military. It follows the expulsion from Fiji of the Australian High Commissoner, James Batley, and New Zealand's acting head of mission Todd Cleaver. Mr Cleaver is due back in New Zealand late this evening. Professor Lal, an Indo-Fijian, says he was called in for questioning by Fiji's military regime, after making comments about the diplomats' expulsion during a radio interview, and ordered out of the country. Speaking from Sydney Airport, Professor Lal - says it was a distressing experience PREREC
A man who brandished a gun at a police officer in the Wellington suburb of Lower Hutt this morning is still on the run. He was stopped in Rata Street in Naenae on a routine traffic matter. The police say the man got out of his car, pointed a firearm at a female officer and then fled the scene. Searches of properties in the Hutt Valley and Wellington that are known to be linked to the man have so far proved fruitless. Our reporter Ben Robinson is in Naenae and joins us now LIVE
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The competition to design a Queens Wharf upgrade has been halted after criticism over lacklustre entries.Earlier today, the Auckland City Mayor John Banks today met with the Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully and the chair of Auckland Regional Council Mike Lee.The group says they're going back to the drawing board to make sure they find an entry with 'wow factor', after the finalists' designs were widely panned by the public.But this once again raises issues about the amount of time left to complete the project. John Banks joins us now. LIVE
The Ombudsmen's office has found a mentally ill patient was kept in restraints and seclusion almost constantly for nearly six years.That's just one of the cases uncovered by the office in their recent focus on the humane treatment of people in detention - including facilities like mental health units and immigration centres.Details have been published in the Ombudsman's annual report - where it's also noted they've been advised there are not enough beds to cater for the "ballooning" number of mentally ill prisoners.Chief Ombudsman Beverly Wakem says the patient in question was in waist-to-wrist restraints to prevent them attacking staff and other patients. PRE-REC
The Māori Party MP Hone Harawira is defiant about skipping out on a final day of meetings at the European Parliament in Brussels, to take his wife to Paris for the day.Mr Harawira was leading a 3-MP delegation at the time and says it would have been "dumb" not to see some of the highlights of Europe while there.So he paid for train tickets for him and his wife Hilda to spend a day in Paris.Mr Harawira has just given a news conference.Political reporter Liz Banas was there and joins us now. LIVE
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Tongan ferry, Princess Ashika has heard more damming evidence about the ship's dire state of disrepair before it made its final fatal voyage.Fijian Marine Department documents are now building an alarming picture of a rusting ship which was unfit for long journeys on high seas and rapidly deteriorating.
The 37-year-old ferry went down on August 5th with the loss of 74 lives.The Princess Ashika was purchased earlier this year from Fiji by the New Zealand manager of the Tongan government-owned Shipping Corporation, John Jonesse.Pesi Fonua from Tonga's on-line news source - Matangi Tonga says Jonesse still maintains he never saw those documents
PRE-REC
Marine farmers are hailing proposed new aquaculture law reform as the best news in years, because it should open up thousands of hectares of new farm space previously off-limits.
The Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley says he's supporting the recommendations which will cut red-tape that's held back the industry.Geoff Moffett reports. PKG
The jury in the trial of a man accused deliberately causing a fatal head-on collision is still considering its verdict. 50-year-old Tony Worrell is charged with murdering 26-year-old newlywed Katie Powles in Karaka in June last year.Laura Davis has been following the trial joins us now from the High Court in Auckland. LIVE